Hearthstone: Blizzard takes dangerous path with new resource and Pay2Win pass

Blizzard’s free trading card game, Hearthstone, has been an expensive proposition from the start. If you wanted to play with the top decks immediately after the release of a new set, you had to buy card packs for real money. If you wanted to have all the servants and spells, you had to spend more than 100 euros per expansion. At least that has changed over time. Since then, those who have stayed on the ball have been buying card packs for the in-game currency gold and crafting new cards with arcane dust.

Meanwhile you can in Hearthstone (buy now €0.00) So theoretically achieve everything without real money. None of the game modes is really Pay2Win, since in addition to real money, the in-game currency gold can always be used as a payment method, which you accumulate over time through playing. However, that will change with the upcoming patch 24.2

Battlegrounds Season Pass is no longer available for gold, everything is switched to Runestones

The new battlefield path. Above the normal rewards, below the premium goodies for real money. The very first premium reward shows: Four instead of two heroes to choose from in the game are only available for real money.

Source: Blizzard



With the introduction of the Season 2 Battlegrounds Pass, the developers are introducing a new resource called Runestones. The Battlegrounds Pass can only be purchased for Runestones. The new resource will replace real money prices in the shop in the future.

So instead of spending real money directly, you have to buy runestones, which you then use to buy the season pass and other things like card packs, hero portraits, and so on. This will make the battlefield mode Pay2Win. Because the main season pass bonus lets players choose from four instead of just two heroes at the beginning. Not having this bonus reduces the chance of winning enormously, like Hearthstone YouTuber Old Guardian calculates in the video.

We already know this method from many other games such as Diablo Immortal, which has been heavily criticized for its monetization. Instead of showing the player directly how much something costs in euros, they are blinded with a conversion into in-game currency in the hope that nobody will do the exact calculation.

In the end, the player spends more money than he would like. In addition, the real-money currencies are structured in such a way that the apparently discounted packages are always just not enough to get a second big reward. As a result, the player spends even more money – mostly without understanding it.

So Hearthstone follows the same terrible path as Diablo Immortal. The FAQ for the new resource shows that the developers know exactly what they are doing.

FAQ shows – Blizzard knows what they’re doing

Q: I used to be able to get bonuses with gold. Why do I have to pay for it now?
We want Battlegrounds to be played and loved by gamers for many years to come. This change allows us to continue to support and create content for the growing Battlegrounds community. Although the ability to choose between four heroes at the start of a round is only available for a fee, all players can still play Battlegrounds mode for free. Our goal is to maintain hero and gameplay balance. So choosing between four heroes is more about individual preferences than differences in power.

Q: Can I use my gold for anything else in Battlegrounds?
A: No, there are no plans to make anything available for gold in Battlegrounds mode. Players who don’t want to spend real money or runestones can reap the free rewards from the Battlegrounds Walk.